Nature vs Nurture
by NekonoKatzen
Summary: Can a good or bad upbringing really change the true nature of one's soul? Warnings: AU, OOC in the beginning.


This is going to be a strange fic XD It's a fic that plays off the age-old argument of what plays a bigger role in the development of one's personality and behavior: nature/biology or nurture/upbringing. Oh, and don't expect any obvious pairings. I'm trying to avoid doing that for this fic because romantic relationships are not the focus.

**Disclaimer:** _I don't own MK or any of the characters from the series. Bunny-sensei does the owning._

**Warnings:** _OOC in the beginning, AU_

* * *

**Nature vs. Nurture**

**By: Nariko**

"Well, isn't he a little cutie!"

"Are you sure you wouldn't prefer to adopt Zero, the first child you saw? He's much more social and friendly."

"No, we definitely want this child. What's your name, sweetheart?"

"Sorry, he doesn't talk much."

"Oh, well, that's okay. He'll grow out of it, I'm sure!"

"Well, if you would please follow me, Mr. and Mrs. Gner, we'll fill out all the necessary paperwork. I think you can take littleHiead home with you today."

"Oh, so Hiead is his name? Hiead Gner. It goes together nicely, don't you think so darling?"

"Hmm? Oh, yes."

* * *

Zero glared at the front of the class from his desk in the room's back corner. He had hoped to never see Hiead again, but there he was, in his expensive clothes, giving a report in front of the blackboard. Every once in a while he would smile or nod in Zero's general direction as he came to the more important parts of his essay.

"He's doing that just to mock me," Zero mumbled to himself as he glared at Hiead.

Hiead finished reading his conclusion, prompting a round of applause from most of his classmates and the teacher. "That was very nice, Mr. Gner!" She smiled at him. "Please place your essay in the green bin."

"Yes, Mrs. Dolph."

"Now… who shall I call on next? Ah! Zero Enna! Please come up and give us your report."

"No." Zero said, his head leaning against one of his hands.

"What do you mean 'no'?" She asked, annoyed.

"I mean, I didn't do your dumb ass report." The class gasped at his choice of words.

"Mr. Enna, you need to see about changing that attitude of yours. If you don't start doing the assigned work, you won't be passing this class."

"Whatever." Zero shrugged. Finally, the bell rang and Zero pushed his way out the door. "Worthless teacher," he said to himself as he walked down the hall.

"Zero! Zero!" Hiead yelled as he ran to catch up to Zero. "Did you like my report?"

"Fuck off." Zero picked up his pace.

"Aw, it's not nice to swear at classmates!" He was hoping that his playful tone would lighten Zero up, but it apparently wasn't working. "So… where are you going?"

"To pick up a friend."

"You have friends!" Hiead was obviously surprised. He, nor anyone he knew, had EVER seen Zero socializing with… anyone.

"I just said I did, didn't I?" Zero glared at Hiead.

"I'm sorry." Hiead looked at the ground and continued walking next to Zero.

Suddenly, Zero stopped. "Didn't I tell you to fuck off!"

"Ah, yes, well…" Hiead stopped a few paces in front of Zero to look back at him. "I just thought that maybe…"

"Well, you thought WRONG." Zero began walking again, pushing his way past Hiead and turning into one of the senior halls.

"Stay away from him." Hiead looked behind him to see one of his other classmates, a girl named Kizna, standing behind him. "He wants nothing to do with you."

"Why?"

"Because of the past." She said, flatly.

"What do you mean, 'the past'"

Kizna shook her head. "I guess you don't remember," she said before heading down the same hall as Zero had a few moments ago.

"What is this 'past' she's talking about?" Hiead's watch began beeping; informing him that he was late for his debate club meeting.

Zero leaned outside of one of the doors in the main senior hallway, his eyes closed and his arms crossed in front of him.

"Zero, aren't they out yet?" Kizna asked as she approached him.

The black-haired boy opened one eye to look at her, "nope."

"Wow." She rose up on her toes to take a quick peek through the only clear part of the door's mostly frosted glass. "It looks like the teacher is off on one of those weird tangents Erts mentioned."

"It'll be a while, then."

Kizna stood against the wall, next to Zero. "I see that Hiead tried to talk to you again."

Zero groaned, "yes. He can't seem to leave me ALONE."

"Aww… he just wants to be friends!" Kizna snickered.

"That's not funny."

The door to the classroom opened, releasing a herd of thirty or so constantly chatting students. Behind them all was a smaller boy who kept his face towards the floor as he walked from his desk, his blond hair hiding his eyes. As he entered the hallway, he looked up at Zero and Kizna. "Hey, guys." He faintly smiled at them.

"Hey Erts! How was class?" Kizna ruffled his hair lightly as Zero stretched behind her.

"About the same as always. I thought it was never going to end." He answered as he fixed his hair.

"Well, if it had ended any later, we would have missed dinner." Zero pointed to the watch hanging from one of his belt loops.

"Sorry, you really didn't have to wait for me…"

"Think nothing of it." Zero turned and began walking towards the senior exit door.

The three started on their hour long journey back to the group house in which they resided. None of them had ever called the broken down, old building a "home": to them it was nothing more than a place where unwanted children were forced to live until they could be kicked out at eighteen. For Kizna and Zero, it had been a natural place for them to end up after being in an orphanage for ten years, but it was a new and sometimes scary place for Erts.

Erts wasn't like most of the kids in the house: unlike the others, who had all come from orphanages, he had been abandoned there by the family he had been living with. At first, the other kids in the house had constantly tormented him about being a "brat from a real family," but Zero had known better than believe it. Zero knew that a_ real_ family wouldn't abandon their child so easily.

"So, Zero, how did the project go?" Erts asked, his gaze fixed on the books in his arms.

Kizna sighed, "Let's just say... he's _supposed _to be in detention right now."

"Oh…"

Zero scoffed. "Yeah, like I'd go to their fucking detention."

Kizna rolled up one of her handouts and whacked Zero upside the head, "Idiot! If you keep this up, you're going to have your dinner rights taken away again!"

"Damn it, woman! How many times do I have to tell you that I DON'T CARE!"

"Yeah, you say that NOW, but you'll change your tune when you're eating nothing but bread and water for a month." Zero glared at her. "Don't you give me that look!"

Erts smiled slightlyas he watched the two arguing with each other. It was painfully obvious to him, and anyone else who watched them as much as he did, that the two were very close. In fact, he'd wager to say they even acted as typical siblings did: Zero always doing things toirritate Kizna, and Kizna always trying to help Zero and getting angry when he didn't listen. Both were even fiercely protective of one another. Of course, this was just speculation on Erts' part because it's not like he knew how normal siblings acted in the first place: he had been separated from his only brother when he was three.

"Erts! Are you comin' or not?"

Erts was snapped out of his musing, only to realize that he was now several feet behind Zero and Kizna. "Ah! Sorry!" he yelled back as he ran to catch up.

"You shouldn't zone out like that, this is a dangerous neighborhood, you know." Kizna shot him a stern, motherly look.

"I know…" Erts hung his head.

"Kizna, stop babying him." Zero glanced at Erts. "He can take care of himself."

* * *

Freaked out by Zero's anti-socialness and Hiead's niceness? Yes? Good! XD 


End file.
